Namaste, in lesser known Sanskritic language, means “I bow to you.” Sometimes said as Namaste and namakar, Namaste, in Sanskritic language, is a generic non-face-to-face and face to face greeting and honor you show to another individual or group, usually in general and religious context in particular. It is used most commonly among the Hindu and Buddhist people, though it has also become a part of other cultures’ lives. Namaste means “I bow to your true self.”
Namaste, in Hinduism, India, is basically a worship of the “Lord Ganesha.” The sacred Ganesha is considered the Lord or Gana and represents the transcendent divinity to all who are Hindus. The word “namaste” itself means “I bow to the true lord,” and is used in conjunction with Lord Ganesha’s tantric deity Shiva, who is worshiped as the creator of the universe and the son of Parvati, earth. There are various forms of Namaste, depending on the culture and location, of which there are approximately two dozen major types. The Namaste that is displayed by most Hindus is often displayed with the hands clasped or folded together.
A traditional Indian greeting is expressed using the Namaste gesture, which is comprised of three independent body parts: the eyebrows, the palms and the shoulders. The gesture consists of a prolonged, upward-stroked arm pose, as viewed from an outside perspective. The Namaste gesture is a sacred religious offering to the Hindu gods and goddesses, and is intended to express devotion, respect and gratitude to them. Since the creation of the independent Hindu state of India in the late nineteenth century, the use of the ancient form of respect to others that is Namaste gesture has been widely accepted as a hallmark of respect among Indian citizens.
The anjali mudra is one of the most popular ways to initiate Namaste. The anjali mudra is performed by placing the right hand in the left palm and interlocking the fingers, palm to palm. The right index finger and the right thumb are pressing into the actual center of the heart as in the body, thus invoking the heart, lungs, throat and stomach. A slight pressure is then gently placed along the umbilicus, bringing up the right nostril and mouth. The index finger and thumb are then placed at the top of the right hand, at the base of the little finger. The left hand is also folded over the right as in the case of a Namaste gesture.
The standard Namaste gesture is performed without the hands. The Namaste bow is a more informal version of the anjali mudra. This bow resembles the Indian greeting with a simple change of the placing of hands. Instead of interlocking the fingers, the Namaste bow is performed with an open hand, so as to allow the entire hand to be opened and spread, from the heart to fingertips.
However, some scholars feel that the anjali Sanskrit meaning of Namaste was changed by some unknown hand writers in the past centuries. Therefore, according to them, this Namaste bow was altered by modern translators from the Sanskrit language to conform to the correct meaning of Namaste in English. The modern interpretation of Namaste means “I bow to the divinity within me which is in you as well.” Some people feel that this is not the correct translation of Namaste.
The anjali Sanskrit phrase, Namaste (pronounced: “nu-ah-tax) in addition to the greeting means “I bow to the divinity within me.” The word for divinity within the Sanskrit language is prasad. In Sanskrit the term prasad means “spirit” or “life force.” It can also mean “life” or “the universe.” Therefore, we conclude that the Namaste that is said in the anal padanga,” Namaste”, means “I bow to the divinity within me,” can also mean “I bow to the life force that is within me and every where.”
The word namaste in the Hindu faith is most often written using the kulaivit word. This is the Hindu personal pronoun that can also be used when addressing the Holy Mother. For example, addressing her as mahalai (Mother) in a Hindu greeting would be haleee jalaata (goodbye). In addition to the kulaivit word, the hand motion used to write Namaste in a traditional Indian Hindu greeting, which is called “pilavruja”, resembles the motion that a child makes while saying prayers in a religious ceremony. This detail of the hand motion, along with the anal Sanskrit word and the placement of the hands in a traditional Indian greeting, led some scholars to believe that the Namaste movement developed out of a need to replicate the motion of the hands while praying.
Recently due to coved 19 entire world adopted the posture of folding hands together as a practice of greeting each other. This is the safest way of greeting where in one does not come in close contact with others and keep a very safe distance from each other thus preventing any type of contact which leads to diseases.